Clutch Slipping!?

[mac1]

2013 not an AE... 55,000 mi. Mobile One Synthetic every change 5000 +- miles
Symptoms: 5th gear accelerating at 4500-5000 RPMs seems like the acceleration lessens and rpms stay the same or increases more than the acceleration but only for a second or two... Might be doing similar in 3rd and 4th...definitely not as pronounced as in 5th. I'm thinking the clutch is slipping but i have very little mechanical expertise to know this for sure or what to do to make a definitive diagnosis. And if it is slipping, what the heck to do about it? Please help! Thanks!

 

[C&C]

You don't want Mobil 1 Synthetic car oil in your wet-clutch engine; if this is not the case then disregard this reply.

 

[Geezer]

C&C has the answer. Car oils have additives which do not play well with the wet clutch in your motorcycle. If you drain out the Mobil 1 and switch in something more motorcycle friendly you should see a difference, but it may take more than one change of oil. Personally, I have always used Rotella T in my motorcycles, but others prefer motorcycle specific oils.

 

[lee stroke]

I hate to say this, but you need to pull the clutch plates out; soak them in a solvent to remove the Mobile one. Reinstall and put it the Rotella T.

 

[Mcarver351]

Mobil 1 makes a synthetic for motorcycles. I use it in my 2014 and it works great. Maybe Mac1 can clarify if he used the motorcycle or car oil. Are you the original owner? If not maybe the previous owner(s) was hard on the clutch.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

Stock levers?

 

[mshrout]

Yes , all very good and correct advice from all. IF you are running mobil 1 car oil, STOP. IF the clutch is already slipping, its telling you a few plates may be already burned and if you continue to ride it will eventually leave you stranded or limping back home as it won't make any forward motion and motor will just spin up. My 2 cents, go ahead and purchase a new clutch pack, fiber and metal plates. Soak the fibers in motorcycle specific oil a few hours, while you are pulling clutch cover off. As you remove parts, assembly is reverse of disassembly. You will have a fiber plate, then a metal plate etc, etc. You will most likely find bluing color on the metal plates and scuffing on the fibers. You go down that far, put the new clutch pack in. Button it up and put new oil and filter in bike, start it up and let it idle. That should fix your slipping issue for the next 50k miles, depending on your riding habits.

 

[mcatrophy]

Yes , all very good and correct advice from all. IF you are running mobil 1 car oil, STOP. IF the clutch is already slipping, its telling you a few plates may be already burned and if you continue to ride it will eventually leave you stranded or limping back home as it won't make any forward motion and motor will just spin up. My 2 cents, go ahead and purchase a new clutch pack, fiber and metal plates. Soak the fibers in motorcycle specific oil a few hours, while you are pulling clutch cover off. As you remove parts, assembly is reverse of disassembly. You will have a fiber plate, then a metal plate etc, etc. You will most likely find bluing color on the metal plates and scuffing on the fibers. You go down that far, put the new clutch pack in. Button it up and put new oil and filter in bike, start it up and let it idle. That should fix your slipping issue for the next 50k miles, depending on your riding habits.

The FJR clutch is quite tough. I would suggest opening it up, removing the plates (no need to remove the clutch housing) and inspecting the plates before spending megabucks on a new pack.

Getting to it isn't hard. I took my 2006 pack apart, near enough identical to the 2013. I described the process in pictures here. If the plates look ok, as lee stoke says above, clean the plates (I'd suggest scrubbing with brake cleaner), soak in motorcycle-specific oil, reassemble. You may need a new cover washer. Drain the engine oil, including replacing the filter, and refill the engine with the motorcycle-specific oil (not fussy which, any with your handbook's specification).

 

[thefix]

Using Mobil1 motorcycle oil… then its time for new friction plates. Or you have put too much fluid in master cylinder, as things heat up the clutch will disengage. Make sure clutch aster at 1/2 full.

 

[mac1]

Clarification: I am Using Mobile one 4t racing motorcycle oil. Bike was bought used 2 years ago...8500 miles on it...so i dont think hard usage. thanks for all the advice!

 

[mac1]

...and yes, stock levers. And I changed the clutch fluid recently so will check the amount today!

 

[FJR-Pilot]

At about 60,000 miles I began having clutch issues on my 2007 and the clutch handle assembly was the problem. Replaced it and that fixed it. This may not be related to your issue but you may want to inspect yours to ensure it's still in satisfactory condition.

 

[Old Guy]

...and yes, stock levers. And I changed the clutch fluid recently so will check the amount today!

Have you had the lever off? I had the same issue on my Kawasaki with a stock lever, but there was a tiny speck of trash in the hole in the bushing that kept the push rod from seating properly.

 

[mac1]

Cleaned and greased the lever mechanisms when changing the fluid 2 months ago. Will double check. Thanks.

 

[Geezer]

Well, since the oil you are using is motorcycle specific, and the hydraulic clutch system seems OK, then you are going to have to remove the clutch and see what the components look like. If they are worn then replacement is the only option. If they look good then a clean and soak may solve the problem.

I will be surprised if the clutch is actually worn out with so few miles on it.

 

[thefix]

Clarifying…Mobil1 is good oil, it is my main choice.. as long as it is bike oil , proves your clutch needs repair. I don’t know you usage? Miles means little if you are rowing through the gears a lot. Measure the thickness of each plate. There is a spec. Somewhere. Use a proper measuring tool. Have you properly greased the pivots and bushing at the lever? There’s typically a brass one that gets over looked

 

[mshrout]

per the Manual, measure in 4 places around the friction plates. friction plate 1, 3. thickness. 2.90-3.10 mm, wear limit 2.80mm
friction plate 2 thickness, 2.92-3.08 mm. wear limit 2.82 mm.

metal plates thickness. 1.90-2.10mm. warpage limit .10mm. also check for blueing on the metal plates, indicates heat and usually warpage, but not always. manual suggests replacing either friction plates as a set and metal plates as a set. but you can do your measurements as above. maybe only need several replacements, but I only like to do stuff 1 time, not patch it. If and when you need full power and rowing thru the gears, it may (unknowingly) let go and engine just revs, leaving you in a tight spot. do the inspection and if any doubt on the plates and friction plates, replace clutch pack as kit. Barnett makes plates and SBS and of course OEM yamaha as well.

 

[mac1]

Lever mechanisms look good. Fluid level good. Now to the plates. Dang. But serious...thanks so much for the advice!

 

[Diablo1]

Lever mechanisms look good. Fluid level good. Now to the plates. Dang. But serious...thanks so much for the advice!

If you inspect and measure the friction plates and they look good, you should check the operation of the clutch slave cylinder. If the piston is hanging up in the cylinder, the clutch will slip. I had that problem with my 2006 AE. I replaced the friction plates and spring first to no avail. Now I have a good spare clutch pack. The friction plates are very durable on the FJR.

 

[user 90243]

Replaced 2010G2 clutch with Yamaha's stock slipper clutch (2016?). Inexpensive. Recommended.